So I think I'm one of those people that bake when they're nervous....as I type, my 3 year old dog, Roxy is in the ER and so far it's not looking too good. So of course I break out the new mixer and bake up some bread. Once that was done I searched for something else to fill my time...and realized I hadn't posted anything yet today....PRAISE THE LORD! Something else to keep my mind off of things. So our recipe this week isn't a full meal or anything it's just something I went to because I had all the ingredients on hand and it takes a long time to bake and I only have one bread pan so it consumes a lot of time. Sorry folks :(
Creamy Banana Bread
Don't be frightened by the word bread, by the way. This term is used loosely in this recipe. There's no kneading or rising involved here.
What you need:
1/2 butter softened (one whole stick) (room temp is best)
1 8oz cream cheese box (room temp is best)
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
What you do:
Cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Gradually add the white sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to beat them well after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla extract. Next, add the flour, baking powder and baking soda; mix until the batter is just moist. (try not to over mix it)
In a separate bowl mix together the cinnamon, pecans and brown sugar. Set this aside for later.
Divide the batter in half (enough to fill two bread pans). Add half of your (already halved) batter into one of the pans. Sprinkle your brown sugar mixture over top of that, then finish spooning in the rest of your batter. (So really this is two quarters of the batter, does that make sense?) Then repeat these same steps in the second bread pan.
Place them into a preheated oven of 350 degrees and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
There you have it...delicious bread without too much hard labor. Enjoy and I'll keep you posted on Roxygirl!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
it was a merry christmas indeed...
Well...I hope this post finds everyone happy, healthy and having a very, merry Christmas! We had a good and busy Christmas and I just wanted to share some pictures with you before I never got around to it...
Here is somewhat of the "aftermath" from Christmas morning at our house.
 I made a new recipe for Christmas breakfast this year...it was delicious! I'm sure I'll be posting it soon. Try no to drool on your computer ;)  Graham got me a kitchenaid mixer. I'm obsessed. This is me mixing up ingredients for our pie we had for our Christmas feast. It too was delicious...  And now for Christmas Feast! We had cornish hens, stuffing, mashed potatoes, bread and pie....again watch the drooling there. ;)   And lastly, here are some pictures we took of the boys on Christmas Eve. My kids are so freaking cute.    Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night. |
Monday, December 13, 2010
VBAC: what you should know and why I'm not crazy...
So I decided to get a little personal this week. So far my posts have been "fluffy" and I wanted to write about something that I am truly passionate about. Childbirth. (cue music: duh duh duh....) For those of you who aren't mother's or aren't looking to be mother's any time soon I still encourage you to read on. The information you read here will take a lot of time to digest and could potentially help you in the future. So...now that I've warned/encouraged you....(is that possible at the same time?) please enjoy these well researched facts and I hope you can learn from my previous experiences with pregnancy/child birthing. (Warning: this post is VERY long....you may want to take a snack break ;) )
Most of you know that I have two wonderful boys, but most of you don't know that I have had two emergency cesarean sections with both of them, and am planning a VBAC with this third baby. (VBAC = vaginal birth after cesarean) Now the reason for this is because I so strongly believe in natural child birth and the benefits it can give that I will refuse another c-section unless I am put in an emergency situation again. First, let me give you a little background on my pregnancy and birth with Lincoln. This really is where the foundation to my conversion to the natural/hippy/granola world began.
It's September 2007 and Graham and I have just found out we're pregnant. Yay! We're super excited and ecstatic to be new parents. So what's the first thing you do? You call your OB and schedule an appointment. And that's exactly what we did. So about a month later (because OB's are super busy and you can never get an appointment early or when you need it) we head on over to the doctor's office and patiently await to hear our baby. The appointment goes pretty smoothly as far as the physical aspects were concerned. I'm only eight weeks along. The baby sounded good, I looked good, everything was going great. Then our doctor asks us to join us in her office to discuss how we want this pregnancy and delivery to go. Now....Graham and I had been talking about this (we did have a month before our appointment after all...) and had discussed wanting to give birth naturally. Graham's mother had gone through her labors naturally so that was just all Graham knew, but for me it was something different. Birth wasn't something my mother and I had really ever talked about. No one's fault of course. It just wasn't ever really brought up. I do however remember a conversation being had amongst my mom and some of her friends just a couple of years before. They were all discussing their births and what had happened with each of their stories and I just remember thinking to myself, "I really think I would prefer to do it naturally. It just seems weird to get a big needle in your back for no reason." So obviously, coming to the conclusion to do things naturally wasn't hard for us. It was either engrained or instinctual. However, since I am adopted and don't know the history of my birth or any of my birthmother's details we decided we felt most safe doing it naturally, but in the hospital just in case. So we get in the doctor's office and she says, "Ok, what would you like to see happen as far as delivery for your baby is concerned." Graham and I look at each other and then we both say, "We'd like to do it naturally." She then explains to us how labor is not a sprint, but like a marathon that you don't know when or where it's going to end (which is true) and to believe you can make it through to the end before you've even started is a hard promise to fulfill to yourself. (should have seen that last bit as a red flag, but didn't know it at the time...) She then proceeded to discuss our options as far as anesthetics go and we came to the conclusion that I would labor as long as I could naturally and know that the epidural was there if I needed it. She then also encouraged us to find a good birthing class to prepare us for labor (again true and good advice) and assured us that our son being born would be one of the happiest days of our lives and she was grateful to be apart of it. We left the office feeling good, and were very excited for the next chapter of our lives.
Flash forward about 28 weeks. At this point in time I'm about 36 weeks along (an average timeline is about 40 weeks) and feeling great. We had decided to attend Bradley Classes and felt positive and educated as far as how to get this baby out safely and happily. We had learned a lot in our twelve weeks of classes and felt prepared. And thus far hadn't really run into any bumps in the road, so to speak. We would come to the doctor with questions we were taught to ask in class and she would simply smile, nod her head and excuse herself to her next patient.
Flash forward again another two weeks, we're at 38 weeks on a random weekday evening and I'm getting some consistent contractions that aren't easy, but not unbearable. They last all through the night and into the early morning and are still consistent at about 4-5 minutes apart. So of course, we think, "This is it!" So we load up our stuff and head over to Graham's parents house. We wanted to labor at home as long as possible, but were far from our hospital so we went there to have comforts of home without having to check in and be admitted to the hospital. We aren't there long and the contractions stayed the same if not getting closer together so we decide at around 7a.m. to head on over to the hospital. Well, on the ride there they get further and further apart. And by the time I'm admitted to the hospital the contractions are almost nonexistent. So, disappointed of course, we head home and patiently await the actual birth of our son. Throughout the next 4 weeks (yes that's right I said 4) I have these same consistent contractions daily. I didn't know this at the time, but this was great practice for me and really were beneficial I think in preparing me for the actual labor that was to come.
Flash forward about two weeks. 39 weeks, 5 days and counting. Since my little "false alarm" happened our doctor seems hopeful this little guy will come any day, but since it's been two weeks and nothing has happened she decides to schedule an ultrasound just to check up on things and the baby. So we head on over to the ultrasound place and this is where it all goes down hill. We're sitting there happily watching our baby on the screen when the ultrasound doctor says, "Ok, we have a slight problem." PROBLEM?? WHAT PROBLEM??! Is my first thought naturally. He goes on to say, "It appears your baby is macrosomic. I would suggest you talk with your doctor and discuss your options as far as this baby is concerned." So, in shock and terror, we head back to the doctor's office to talk about our "options". When we get there we are terrified and our doctor does nothing to help that. She explains to us that macrosomic means our baby is "quite large" and she's afraid that if we don't induce he will get too big for me to give birth to him vaginally. Horrified that our plan is not going as smoothly as we hoped we told her we would schedule an induction. We are to be back in the hospital that night at 7pm.
When we get home we immediately hop on the computer and start researching "macrosomic". While this is a real thing and can happen, we deduce that this can't be true for us. The major things that predispose you to true macrosomia were if the mother were over the age of 35, has gestational diabetes, and is past her due date. None of these are me. Not even close. So we breathe a sigh of relief, call our doctor to cancel the induction and sit down to still patiently wait. (Side note: we found our information at marchofdimes.com. Always use credible sources when searching important things. Someone's opinion on Yahoo! ain't gonna cut it) A week goes by and still no baby, so we head over for our weekly appointment.
41 weeks and counting. (My days/weeks will start to get a little muddy here and not so precise, you'll have to forgive me...I do however know the exact day I went into labor and the exact day I gave birth, so that helps!) We head in for our weekly visit and are worried about what we might find there. An angry and anxious doctor is what we find. She says she's concerned about the baby and wants us to seriously consider "getting him out of there". We are past our due date by a full week and can't risk "this" anymore. (whatever "this" is I'm still unsure...her reputation possibly?) We then proceed to tell her we still don't feel comfortable with an induction, as long as the baby is healthy and I am healthy we see no reason to intervene. She literally flies off the handle. She tells me that my pride is not worth saving at the risk of my baby, blah blah blah. I didn't find what she had to say the least bit interesting because this was NOT about pride for me. I honestly believed (and still believe) that keeping intervention low in pregnancy and child birth is the SAFEST route to go. Not the easiest or funnest or best way to earn bragging rights. No. I believe that to do NOTHING is better than doing anything, in the case like ours that I was healthy and Lincoln was healthy. She begs us to go get another ultrasound with a perinatal specialist, and just to get her to shut up and make her happy...as best we could without using a pit drip or a scalpel...we comply. (a "pit drip" is also known as the drug Pitocin that is used to induce or speed up labor.) So the next day we head over to this specialist. Now, I don't know about you, but most people don't receive special treatment when going to a doctor's office. You sign in just like everybody else, you wait in the waiting room like everybody else, you wait in the exam room...like everybody else....not the case this time. When we arrive, the nurses are waiting for us and know be my name. They immediately call me back and the ultrasound tech/nurse lady is waiting for us in the exam room. She takes her measurements quickly (a little too quickly and inaccurately in my opinion) and says the doctor will be with us shortly. Well, she was right. Not even two seconds alone for Graham and I to say to each other, "What the heck is going on?" and the doctor is walking in, talking on his cell phone...to our doctor. He goes on to show us that the baby is measuring 12lbs 3oz and proceeds to tell us we can no longer discuss induction. It's c-section or nothing. Yup, in a matter of a day I lost all my rights to push this baby out. So of course I go into mama bear mode and say, "Well, is the baby ok? Other than him being large, he is healthy?" Here the doctor interrupts me and says, "This is not up for discussion. You are having a c-section." Graham then proceeds to stand up, and kick the doctor out of the room. (Gah! I love that man...)
So what do you do then? You have a doctor that will cut you open if you go near her and other doctor's backing her up. You feel completely betrayed by the medical institution and have no where to go...We got in the car and Graham immediately called his mom. (I may have actually asked him to call her while he was dialing. We needed her input asap.) She tells us she knows of a home birth midwife that may be able to meet with us and let us know our true, real options, but probably couldn't help us herself. Out of desperation and some much needed encouragement,we call her up and plan to meet with her the next day.
She's wonderful! She's helpful, not the least bit worried and totally laid back. So at 42 weeks and 1 day, we're sitting there in her home (not an office or exam room) explaining our situation and she interrupts me (not in a rude way like the doctors do, I made note of that) and tells me to lie down....she wants to feel my belly. She proceeds to say, "Oh that's not a twelve pound baby! I'd guess 9lbs 5oz...." She then asks us what we want from her. Graham looks her right in the eyes and says, "We've appreciated all your helpful words and encouragement and I'm asking you now to do a home birth with us." She promptly said, "I was afraid of that!" with a smirk on her face. :) She says she wants to think about it and pray about it and she'll let us know tomorrow. Well, around 5pm that same evening she calls us and let's us know she'd be happy to take us. She gives Graham and LONG list of supplies to go pick up and we start on it immediately. That night we have some friends over to just hang out, relax and play wii and have never been happier. The stress from the last 3 1/2 weeks seemed to be melting off of us and we felt awesome.
Sure enough at 3 am that morning, 42 weeks and 2 days, I am woken up with a bad contraction. It was different from the ones I had been practicing with, but I did my best to breath through it and go back to sleep. Around 9am we woke up and got dressed. We planned to have breakfast with some of our close friends that were leaving to head back out of town (they live in Birmingham) that morning and seeing as how I had had false alarms before I didn't want to cancel and miss out on being with them just in case it didn't turn into anything. (I know, I know...seems unlike at 42 weeks, but you begin to feel like the baby will NEVER come out!) Well it did, by the time breakfast was over, I was having to concentrate every time a contraction came and was feeling quite uncomfortable in the car on the way home. We called our new midwife and she told us to just keep track of things and she'd call us back in a bit.
The next three days are a BLUR for me. I was in labor the whole time, without much sleep, and just trying to stay in the zone. I labored what seemed like forever. I remember lots of being in the tub, hearing "Sweet Caroline" on the iPod and my mother-in-law coaching me to make deeeeep, looooow sounds instead of high-pitchy sounds to help with each coming contraction. (That woman works wonders I tell you...) I had gone into labor early Sunday morning and by Tuesday night at 7 my water had broken, but labor was still going slow. We found out that Lincoln was in a very weird position and it was making it difficult for the contractions to help push him down into the birthing canal. So at about 11pm that night Graham, my mother in law, sister in law, midwife and midwife apprentice all came to me and said, "I think it's time to go to the hospital." I asked them if they were sure and they simply replied yes. At the time I wasn't heartbroken or anything. I was just tired. So we packed everything up and headed to Gwinnett Medical. When we got there, it was rough. The nurses were rude. I was uncomfortable. And I couldn't stop throwing up. When the nurse went to check me a thick rush of fluid came out that was thick and dark. Meconium. Meconium is the baby's first real bowel movement. Sometimes this happens early when they're in distress. Graham and I knew about this and knew that sometimes a little bit of meconium was ok, but Graham took one good look at this and knew something needed to be done immediately. We didn't have the time, nor I the strength, to wait any more. So we decided to go with an emergency c-section. (NOTE: the doctors never chose to tell me about this weird position Lincoln was in. My midwife was convinced that he had been that way for a while. It was almost ingrained in him, and that's why even labor wasn't making him move out of it. I still don't know, but whether it was the doctor's ignorance or her just flat out keeping the truth from me, it was wrong. That is something very important we should have known about.)
Now, seeing as how I went through 70 hours of labor with NO medication I'd like to think I have a high pain tolerance. That being said, c-sections are painful. They are an artificial pain. It's an unnatural pain you aren't supposed to have and can't really deal with. I don't really know how to explain it. So when you are trying to exclusively breastfeed your son in that kind of discomfort you'd think that the last thing you need is some one discouraging you right? That's what I'd think, too. Well, the nurses on staff must have disagreed. Lincoln was born at 2:03 am on Wednesday, May 28, 2008. He was a WHOPPING 9lbs 7oz (I find this interesting because not only was the ultrasound WAY off at 12lbs, but only 3 days before my midwife had guessed 9lbs 5oz...She was dead on. She had known me an hour, felt my belly once, and knew exactly how much my baby weighed...no technology needed.) and was whisked away to the NICU. He had no real problems. They like to tell me he had neumothoraxes (when you have a portion of your lung that's been "blown out" like a balloon sort of), but I don't believe they were there before I gave birth to him. They gave him a lot of forced air in the first few minutes of his life and that will do the trick. He also scored VERY well and high on his APGAR test. This is the test all babies must pass when they are minutes old. It shows that they are fully functioning and healthy. Linc got the right scores, but they took him to the NICU anyway. So I would travel up and down the elevator all day and night long trying to exclusively breast feed my son. I had nurses tell me to rest, I looked tired. I had nurses tell me it wasn't worth wearing myself out. (Really?! My own son isn't worth me being a little tired?! Really?!) And I had one special nurse tell me she ought to "slap me for what I did". What I did being of course a home birth. So needless to say, the medical community has left a pretty bad taste in my mouth. But four days later (that's how long Linc had to stay in the NICU and most patients have to stay after having a c-section) we got to leave that place. Baby in hand, never looking back. I got to exclusively breast feed Lincoln for the next nine months thanks to my own determination and support from Graham and his family....(fyi: I only had to stop breastfeeding because I got pregnant with Quinn and my milk dried up)
So this story is how I came to easily decide with Quinn's birth it would be home birth from the start. All my pre-natal care was good, easy and not the least bit stressful. I went into labor at about 41 weeks, was laboring well at home and then when my water broke my dialation went from 8cm to 4cm (the goal being 10cm to push). Not good. So this time it was I who decided we should go to the hospital. We showed up again to Gwinnett Medical (it's the only hospital close to us) and the SAME doctor was on call! ha! They were setting me up for a vaginal delivery and we were sitting there chatting with the doctor when Quinn's heart rate dropped. And I don't mean it dipped down, I mean it went down and stayed down. An average healthy baby's heart will be around 145-150...Quinn's got down to 54. We watched it go down 90....84....76....62....54.....and after the contraction was done it didn't come back up. Usually you can wait until the contraction is done because there can sometimes be so much pressure from the uterus contracting that this will happen naturally. But this was not the case. The doctor asked for our verbal consent to perform a c-section, we said yes, and in less than fifteen minutes Quinn was born. Healthy and fat! He was born at 9:02pm 10lbs 14oz :) He was completely healthy and scored great on his APGAR test. The doctor informed us later that he had had the cord wrapped around his neck THREE times. Making it difficult to get him out. She says this more than likely was the cause for the backwards dialation and the reason his heart rate bottomed out. All in all we were happy he was here and safe no matter what.
So here's where the hard facts and really good information comes in. Most doctor's will not take you if you are a VBAC (which also helped in the decision to do a home birth with Quinn. The doctor who performed my first c-section would not take me.) The liability is just too much for them. However, most people do not know for themselves that it is not any more safe to continue to schedule c-sections. While both of my sections were necessary and needed in order to keep our babies safe, we have no reason to believe that either of those things will go wrong this time around. They are very specific problems/issues that can't be counted on everytime and very well shouldn't be.
Some interesting facts/statistics about VBAC, birth and post-partum in general:
- risks associated with cesareans and repeat cesareans consistently increase with each one, but after one successful VBAC all risks of VBAC significantly decrease for each successful birth
- planned VBACS have lower complication rates than planned repeat C-sections
- our nation's current c-section rate it as 32%. The World Health Organization deems any rate above 15%, too high and unnecessary.
- God equipped our amazing bodies with a hormone called Oxytocin; this is called the "bonding hormone". It allows you to bond with your baby and make a real connection with them. It's first big surge is when labor naturally kicks in and it's second biggest surge is when the baby is passing through the birth canal. (though it's pumping all through out labor continuously) Most women who are induced, have a cesarean or schedule a repeat cesarean will never get to experience this. It's also the same hormone which allows us to almost forget the pain of child-bearing. So our bodies are FULLY equipped to handle labor and delivery without the help of medicine if we chose to do so. (how else would we have more babies, anyway?!)
- If you chose to labor naturally your chances at breastfeeding greatly increase. Epidurals and pitocin are administered based on the mother's weight, not the babies, so if a 8ishlb person (your child) gets the same amount of drugs as a 150ishlb person (mama bear) they're gonna be a little "hung over" so to speak. This results in a highly lethargic baby that has a hard time concentrating on latching on to eat. By laboring and delivering naturally your baby with be brought into this world awake and happy and ready to eat. :) (Plus breast milk is free, so for me it's the obvious choice...no coupons needed!)
- by birthing naturally and allowing the "bonding hormone" to kick in, breast feeding will come more naturally for you, the mother, as well. It's a bit strange to think about a tiny human sucking off of you, but in those first moments it seems so right!! Trust me!
---Side note: Since both of my c-sections were emergencies and happened so fast we're almost certain the drugs were unable to reach the boys before they were already out and into this world. This cause them to be GREAT eaters! :) And since I got to go into labor naturally with them and labor for quite some time I had some oxytocin pumping through my veins. So despite the to c-sections, I felt a very close connection to my boys and breast fed successfully for 9 and 12 months.---
- Breastfeeding naturally stimulates your uterus to contract. This is a very important factor as far as healing is concerned after a birth. Since I was able to breast feed my recovery was very successful both times.
- 75% of all VBACs are successful.
- 45% of women are interested in the option of VBAC, but 92% have a repeat c-sections due to the ban on VBACs in hospitals and ignorance among the medical community in regards to VBACs.
- there's plenty more, but I encourage you to do some research of your own! ;)
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology have a pretty big chunk of the Ob/Gyn market...pretty much what they say goes. For years they have been determining the outcomes of birth and how they are achieved. So when their most recent article came out I was beyond excited. To quote it word for word, "Attempting a VBAC is a safe and appropriate choice for most women who have had a prior cesarean delivery including for some women who have had two previous cesareans." WOW! That's awesome....and they even go on to say, "Being pregnant with twins, going over 40 weeks, having an unknown or low vertical scar, or suspecting a “big baby” should not prevent a woman from planning a VBAC." WOW, again!!! I mean I can't believe it. Now, unfortunately this doesn't mean that ALL doctors and ALL practices are going to change their minds. Obviously, people have their own opinions no matter what, but the great part is, that some people really believe in this. They believed it before ACOG said it, and will continue to believe as long as the babies and mommies keep coming up healthy on the other side of things....
Now some of you might be wondering if I'm planning a home birth again. Sadly, I am not. While I still believe that it is a great option and you should chose to do so if you can (Please! Or with a midwife in a hospital or birthing center), at this point for me I think it's safest to go with a supportive team in a hospital. The women in my new practice really seem to know what they are doing and have the rule of the midwife down....know when to use your hands, and know when to sit on them.
I encourage to THINK for yourself. Do not just lie back and let some one do what's best or easiest for them. You have options and you have a right to act on them. Do your research and know what is actually healthy and safe for you and your baby. Don't just assume what every person tells you is true. Be educated. I like to think of it this way....there are few decisions we get to make in life that are truly life-changing and/or "a big deal". Some examples: getting married, buying a house, and having babies. If someone were to come to you and say, "I'm an expert on love and marriages, I have years of experience and have been married myself...I'm going to pick your spouse for you." You would most likely think that's absurd. (Which it is...) You would think that no matter how much they knew, they wouldn't know better than you! Of course you'll chose for yourself who you spend the rest of your life with. Let's look at the second example. Say you hire a real estate agent, and instead of them being there to help guide you and listen to your needs they say, "I have a general idea of who you are as a couple and your price range, I've been doing this for years and am a licensed professional. I'll just pick a house for you. No need to have any say in the process or come look at the house...I'll call you when I put an offer in." Again with the absurdities. WHO would do that??! No one hopefully, this real estate agent just met you...they may know your age and where you want to live, but perhaps they don't know you like to garden, or would enjoy a sunroom, or want to have a boatload of kids so you need tons of square footage. So with those two examples in mind, how are we handling the responsibility of the third? Are you willing to let someone tell you what's going to happen for your birth just because they've been "doing this for years"? Will you let a person cut you open just because they are licensed to do so (and so they can be home for dinner)? When you know deep down that it's not the healthiest option for you and your baby...when you really dig deep and think about it and do the research and know your options....you know it's absurd as well. We can't just sit back and let everyone else decide for us. So educate yourself and know what you want. Then work hard to get it.
I hope you all learned a little something from my rant. I just had to get some of that off my chest. There was a lot that went unsaid (shocking I know!) so feel free to ask me any questions you like. I am always open to discussion. Love you all and care for you all deeply.
Most of you know that I have two wonderful boys, but most of you don't know that I have had two emergency cesarean sections with both of them, and am planning a VBAC with this third baby. (VBAC = vaginal birth after cesarean) Now the reason for this is because I so strongly believe in natural child birth and the benefits it can give that I will refuse another c-section unless I am put in an emergency situation again. First, let me give you a little background on my pregnancy and birth with Lincoln. This really is where the foundation to my conversion to the natural/hippy/granola world began.
It's September 2007 and Graham and I have just found out we're pregnant. Yay! We're super excited and ecstatic to be new parents. So what's the first thing you do? You call your OB and schedule an appointment. And that's exactly what we did. So about a month later (because OB's are super busy and you can never get an appointment early or when you need it) we head on over to the doctor's office and patiently await to hear our baby. The appointment goes pretty smoothly as far as the physical aspects were concerned. I'm only eight weeks along. The baby sounded good, I looked good, everything was going great. Then our doctor asks us to join us in her office to discuss how we want this pregnancy and delivery to go. Now....Graham and I had been talking about this (we did have a month before our appointment after all...) and had discussed wanting to give birth naturally. Graham's mother had gone through her labors naturally so that was just all Graham knew, but for me it was something different. Birth wasn't something my mother and I had really ever talked about. No one's fault of course. It just wasn't ever really brought up. I do however remember a conversation being had amongst my mom and some of her friends just a couple of years before. They were all discussing their births and what had happened with each of their stories and I just remember thinking to myself, "I really think I would prefer to do it naturally. It just seems weird to get a big needle in your back for no reason." So obviously, coming to the conclusion to do things naturally wasn't hard for us. It was either engrained or instinctual. However, since I am adopted and don't know the history of my birth or any of my birthmother's details we decided we felt most safe doing it naturally, but in the hospital just in case. So we get in the doctor's office and she says, "Ok, what would you like to see happen as far as delivery for your baby is concerned." Graham and I look at each other and then we both say, "We'd like to do it naturally." She then explains to us how labor is not a sprint, but like a marathon that you don't know when or where it's going to end (which is true) and to believe you can make it through to the end before you've even started is a hard promise to fulfill to yourself. (should have seen that last bit as a red flag, but didn't know it at the time...) She then proceeded to discuss our options as far as anesthetics go and we came to the conclusion that I would labor as long as I could naturally and know that the epidural was there if I needed it. She then also encouraged us to find a good birthing class to prepare us for labor (again true and good advice) and assured us that our son being born would be one of the happiest days of our lives and she was grateful to be apart of it. We left the office feeling good, and were very excited for the next chapter of our lives.
Flash forward about 28 weeks. At this point in time I'm about 36 weeks along (an average timeline is about 40 weeks) and feeling great. We had decided to attend Bradley Classes and felt positive and educated as far as how to get this baby out safely and happily. We had learned a lot in our twelve weeks of classes and felt prepared. And thus far hadn't really run into any bumps in the road, so to speak. We would come to the doctor with questions we were taught to ask in class and she would simply smile, nod her head and excuse herself to her next patient.
Flash forward again another two weeks, we're at 38 weeks on a random weekday evening and I'm getting some consistent contractions that aren't easy, but not unbearable. They last all through the night and into the early morning and are still consistent at about 4-5 minutes apart. So of course, we think, "This is it!" So we load up our stuff and head over to Graham's parents house. We wanted to labor at home as long as possible, but were far from our hospital so we went there to have comforts of home without having to check in and be admitted to the hospital. We aren't there long and the contractions stayed the same if not getting closer together so we decide at around 7a.m. to head on over to the hospital. Well, on the ride there they get further and further apart. And by the time I'm admitted to the hospital the contractions are almost nonexistent. So, disappointed of course, we head home and patiently await the actual birth of our son. Throughout the next 4 weeks (yes that's right I said 4) I have these same consistent contractions daily. I didn't know this at the time, but this was great practice for me and really were beneficial I think in preparing me for the actual labor that was to come.
Flash forward about two weeks. 39 weeks, 5 days and counting. Since my little "false alarm" happened our doctor seems hopeful this little guy will come any day, but since it's been two weeks and nothing has happened she decides to schedule an ultrasound just to check up on things and the baby. So we head on over to the ultrasound place and this is where it all goes down hill. We're sitting there happily watching our baby on the screen when the ultrasound doctor says, "Ok, we have a slight problem." PROBLEM?? WHAT PROBLEM??! Is my first thought naturally. He goes on to say, "It appears your baby is macrosomic. I would suggest you talk with your doctor and discuss your options as far as this baby is concerned." So, in shock and terror, we head back to the doctor's office to talk about our "options". When we get there we are terrified and our doctor does nothing to help that. She explains to us that macrosomic means our baby is "quite large" and she's afraid that if we don't induce he will get too big for me to give birth to him vaginally. Horrified that our plan is not going as smoothly as we hoped we told her we would schedule an induction. We are to be back in the hospital that night at 7pm.
When we get home we immediately hop on the computer and start researching "macrosomic". While this is a real thing and can happen, we deduce that this can't be true for us. The major things that predispose you to true macrosomia were if the mother were over the age of 35, has gestational diabetes, and is past her due date. None of these are me. Not even close. So we breathe a sigh of relief, call our doctor to cancel the induction and sit down to still patiently wait. (Side note: we found our information at marchofdimes.com. Always use credible sources when searching important things. Someone's opinion on Yahoo! ain't gonna cut it) A week goes by and still no baby, so we head over for our weekly appointment.
41 weeks and counting. (My days/weeks will start to get a little muddy here and not so precise, you'll have to forgive me...I do however know the exact day I went into labor and the exact day I gave birth, so that helps!) We head in for our weekly visit and are worried about what we might find there. An angry and anxious doctor is what we find. She says she's concerned about the baby and wants us to seriously consider "getting him out of there". We are past our due date by a full week and can't risk "this" anymore. (whatever "this" is I'm still unsure...her reputation possibly?) We then proceed to tell her we still don't feel comfortable with an induction, as long as the baby is healthy and I am healthy we see no reason to intervene. She literally flies off the handle. She tells me that my pride is not worth saving at the risk of my baby, blah blah blah. I didn't find what she had to say the least bit interesting because this was NOT about pride for me. I honestly believed (and still believe) that keeping intervention low in pregnancy and child birth is the SAFEST route to go. Not the easiest or funnest or best way to earn bragging rights. No. I believe that to do NOTHING is better than doing anything, in the case like ours that I was healthy and Lincoln was healthy. She begs us to go get another ultrasound with a perinatal specialist, and just to get her to shut up and make her happy...as best we could without using a pit drip or a scalpel...we comply. (a "pit drip" is also known as the drug Pitocin that is used to induce or speed up labor.) So the next day we head over to this specialist. Now, I don't know about you, but most people don't receive special treatment when going to a doctor's office. You sign in just like everybody else, you wait in the waiting room like everybody else, you wait in the exam room...like everybody else....not the case this time. When we arrive, the nurses are waiting for us and know be my name. They immediately call me back and the ultrasound tech/nurse lady is waiting for us in the exam room. She takes her measurements quickly (a little too quickly and inaccurately in my opinion) and says the doctor will be with us shortly. Well, she was right. Not even two seconds alone for Graham and I to say to each other, "What the heck is going on?" and the doctor is walking in, talking on his cell phone...to our doctor. He goes on to show us that the baby is measuring 12lbs 3oz and proceeds to tell us we can no longer discuss induction. It's c-section or nothing. Yup, in a matter of a day I lost all my rights to push this baby out. So of course I go into mama bear mode and say, "Well, is the baby ok? Other than him being large, he is healthy?" Here the doctor interrupts me and says, "This is not up for discussion. You are having a c-section." Graham then proceeds to stand up, and kick the doctor out of the room. (Gah! I love that man...)
So what do you do then? You have a doctor that will cut you open if you go near her and other doctor's backing her up. You feel completely betrayed by the medical institution and have no where to go...We got in the car and Graham immediately called his mom. (I may have actually asked him to call her while he was dialing. We needed her input asap.) She tells us she knows of a home birth midwife that may be able to meet with us and let us know our true, real options, but probably couldn't help us herself. Out of desperation and some much needed encouragement,we call her up and plan to meet with her the next day.
She's wonderful! She's helpful, not the least bit worried and totally laid back. So at 42 weeks and 1 day, we're sitting there in her home (not an office or exam room) explaining our situation and she interrupts me (not in a rude way like the doctors do, I made note of that) and tells me to lie down....she wants to feel my belly. She proceeds to say, "Oh that's not a twelve pound baby! I'd guess 9lbs 5oz...." She then asks us what we want from her. Graham looks her right in the eyes and says, "We've appreciated all your helpful words and encouragement and I'm asking you now to do a home birth with us." She promptly said, "I was afraid of that!" with a smirk on her face. :) She says she wants to think about it and pray about it and she'll let us know tomorrow. Well, around 5pm that same evening she calls us and let's us know she'd be happy to take us. She gives Graham and LONG list of supplies to go pick up and we start on it immediately. That night we have some friends over to just hang out, relax and play wii and have never been happier. The stress from the last 3 1/2 weeks seemed to be melting off of us and we felt awesome.
Sure enough at 3 am that morning, 42 weeks and 2 days, I am woken up with a bad contraction. It was different from the ones I had been practicing with, but I did my best to breath through it and go back to sleep. Around 9am we woke up and got dressed. We planned to have breakfast with some of our close friends that were leaving to head back out of town (they live in Birmingham) that morning and seeing as how I had had false alarms before I didn't want to cancel and miss out on being with them just in case it didn't turn into anything. (I know, I know...seems unlike at 42 weeks, but you begin to feel like the baby will NEVER come out!) Well it did, by the time breakfast was over, I was having to concentrate every time a contraction came and was feeling quite uncomfortable in the car on the way home. We called our new midwife and she told us to just keep track of things and she'd call us back in a bit.
The next three days are a BLUR for me. I was in labor the whole time, without much sleep, and just trying to stay in the zone. I labored what seemed like forever. I remember lots of being in the tub, hearing "Sweet Caroline" on the iPod and my mother-in-law coaching me to make deeeeep, looooow sounds instead of high-pitchy sounds to help with each coming contraction. (That woman works wonders I tell you...) I had gone into labor early Sunday morning and by Tuesday night at 7 my water had broken, but labor was still going slow. We found out that Lincoln was in a very weird position and it was making it difficult for the contractions to help push him down into the birthing canal. So at about 11pm that night Graham, my mother in law, sister in law, midwife and midwife apprentice all came to me and said, "I think it's time to go to the hospital." I asked them if they were sure and they simply replied yes. At the time I wasn't heartbroken or anything. I was just tired. So we packed everything up and headed to Gwinnett Medical. When we got there, it was rough. The nurses were rude. I was uncomfortable. And I couldn't stop throwing up. When the nurse went to check me a thick rush of fluid came out that was thick and dark. Meconium. Meconium is the baby's first real bowel movement. Sometimes this happens early when they're in distress. Graham and I knew about this and knew that sometimes a little bit of meconium was ok, but Graham took one good look at this and knew something needed to be done immediately. We didn't have the time, nor I the strength, to wait any more. So we decided to go with an emergency c-section. (NOTE: the doctors never chose to tell me about this weird position Lincoln was in. My midwife was convinced that he had been that way for a while. It was almost ingrained in him, and that's why even labor wasn't making him move out of it. I still don't know, but whether it was the doctor's ignorance or her just flat out keeping the truth from me, it was wrong. That is something very important we should have known about.)
Now, seeing as how I went through 70 hours of labor with NO medication I'd like to think I have a high pain tolerance. That being said, c-sections are painful. They are an artificial pain. It's an unnatural pain you aren't supposed to have and can't really deal with. I don't really know how to explain it. So when you are trying to exclusively breastfeed your son in that kind of discomfort you'd think that the last thing you need is some one discouraging you right? That's what I'd think, too. Well, the nurses on staff must have disagreed. Lincoln was born at 2:03 am on Wednesday, May 28, 2008. He was a WHOPPING 9lbs 7oz (I find this interesting because not only was the ultrasound WAY off at 12lbs, but only 3 days before my midwife had guessed 9lbs 5oz...She was dead on. She had known me an hour, felt my belly once, and knew exactly how much my baby weighed...no technology needed.) and was whisked away to the NICU. He had no real problems. They like to tell me he had neumothoraxes (when you have a portion of your lung that's been "blown out" like a balloon sort of), but I don't believe they were there before I gave birth to him. They gave him a lot of forced air in the first few minutes of his life and that will do the trick. He also scored VERY well and high on his APGAR test. This is the test all babies must pass when they are minutes old. It shows that they are fully functioning and healthy. Linc got the right scores, but they took him to the NICU anyway. So I would travel up and down the elevator all day and night long trying to exclusively breast feed my son. I had nurses tell me to rest, I looked tired. I had nurses tell me it wasn't worth wearing myself out. (Really?! My own son isn't worth me being a little tired?! Really?!) And I had one special nurse tell me she ought to "slap me for what I did". What I did being of course a home birth. So needless to say, the medical community has left a pretty bad taste in my mouth. But four days later (that's how long Linc had to stay in the NICU and most patients have to stay after having a c-section) we got to leave that place. Baby in hand, never looking back. I got to exclusively breast feed Lincoln for the next nine months thanks to my own determination and support from Graham and his family....(fyi: I only had to stop breastfeeding because I got pregnant with Quinn and my milk dried up)
So this story is how I came to easily decide with Quinn's birth it would be home birth from the start. All my pre-natal care was good, easy and not the least bit stressful. I went into labor at about 41 weeks, was laboring well at home and then when my water broke my dialation went from 8cm to 4cm (the goal being 10cm to push). Not good. So this time it was I who decided we should go to the hospital. We showed up again to Gwinnett Medical (it's the only hospital close to us) and the SAME doctor was on call! ha! They were setting me up for a vaginal delivery and we were sitting there chatting with the doctor when Quinn's heart rate dropped. And I don't mean it dipped down, I mean it went down and stayed down. An average healthy baby's heart will be around 145-150...Quinn's got down to 54. We watched it go down 90....84....76....62....54.....and after the contraction was done it didn't come back up. Usually you can wait until the contraction is done because there can sometimes be so much pressure from the uterus contracting that this will happen naturally. But this was not the case. The doctor asked for our verbal consent to perform a c-section, we said yes, and in less than fifteen minutes Quinn was born. Healthy and fat! He was born at 9:02pm 10lbs 14oz :) He was completely healthy and scored great on his APGAR test. The doctor informed us later that he had had the cord wrapped around his neck THREE times. Making it difficult to get him out. She says this more than likely was the cause for the backwards dialation and the reason his heart rate bottomed out. All in all we were happy he was here and safe no matter what.
So here's where the hard facts and really good information comes in. Most doctor's will not take you if you are a VBAC (which also helped in the decision to do a home birth with Quinn. The doctor who performed my first c-section would not take me.) The liability is just too much for them. However, most people do not know for themselves that it is not any more safe to continue to schedule c-sections. While both of my sections were necessary and needed in order to keep our babies safe, we have no reason to believe that either of those things will go wrong this time around. They are very specific problems/issues that can't be counted on everytime and very well shouldn't be.
Some interesting facts/statistics about VBAC, birth and post-partum in general:
- risks associated with cesareans and repeat cesareans consistently increase with each one, but after one successful VBAC all risks of VBAC significantly decrease for each successful birth
- planned VBACS have lower complication rates than planned repeat C-sections
- our nation's current c-section rate it as 32%. The World Health Organization deems any rate above 15%, too high and unnecessary.
- God equipped our amazing bodies with a hormone called Oxytocin; this is called the "bonding hormone". It allows you to bond with your baby and make a real connection with them. It's first big surge is when labor naturally kicks in and it's second biggest surge is when the baby is passing through the birth canal. (though it's pumping all through out labor continuously) Most women who are induced, have a cesarean or schedule a repeat cesarean will never get to experience this. It's also the same hormone which allows us to almost forget the pain of child-bearing. So our bodies are FULLY equipped to handle labor and delivery without the help of medicine if we chose to do so. (how else would we have more babies, anyway?!)
- If you chose to labor naturally your chances at breastfeeding greatly increase. Epidurals and pitocin are administered based on the mother's weight, not the babies, so if a 8ishlb person (your child) gets the same amount of drugs as a 150ishlb person (mama bear) they're gonna be a little "hung over" so to speak. This results in a highly lethargic baby that has a hard time concentrating on latching on to eat. By laboring and delivering naturally your baby with be brought into this world awake and happy and ready to eat. :) (Plus breast milk is free, so for me it's the obvious choice...no coupons needed!)
- by birthing naturally and allowing the "bonding hormone" to kick in, breast feeding will come more naturally for you, the mother, as well. It's a bit strange to think about a tiny human sucking off of you, but in those first moments it seems so right!! Trust me!
---Side note: Since both of my c-sections were emergencies and happened so fast we're almost certain the drugs were unable to reach the boys before they were already out and into this world. This cause them to be GREAT eaters! :) And since I got to go into labor naturally with them and labor for quite some time I had some oxytocin pumping through my veins. So despite the to c-sections, I felt a very close connection to my boys and breast fed successfully for 9 and 12 months.---
- Breastfeeding naturally stimulates your uterus to contract. This is a very important factor as far as healing is concerned after a birth. Since I was able to breast feed my recovery was very successful both times.
- 75% of all VBACs are successful.
- 45% of women are interested in the option of VBAC, but 92% have a repeat c-sections due to the ban on VBACs in hospitals and ignorance among the medical community in regards to VBACs.
- there's plenty more, but I encourage you to do some research of your own! ;)
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology have a pretty big chunk of the Ob/Gyn market...pretty much what they say goes. For years they have been determining the outcomes of birth and how they are achieved. So when their most recent article came out I was beyond excited. To quote it word for word, "Attempting a VBAC is a safe and appropriate choice for most women who have had a prior cesarean delivery including for some women who have had two previous cesareans." WOW! That's awesome....and they even go on to say, "Being pregnant with twins, going over 40 weeks, having an unknown or low vertical scar, or suspecting a “big baby” should not prevent a woman from planning a VBAC." WOW, again!!! I mean I can't believe it. Now, unfortunately this doesn't mean that ALL doctors and ALL practices are going to change their minds. Obviously, people have their own opinions no matter what, but the great part is, that some people really believe in this. They believed it before ACOG said it, and will continue to believe as long as the babies and mommies keep coming up healthy on the other side of things....
Now some of you might be wondering if I'm planning a home birth again. Sadly, I am not. While I still believe that it is a great option and you should chose to do so if you can (Please! Or with a midwife in a hospital or birthing center), at this point for me I think it's safest to go with a supportive team in a hospital. The women in my new practice really seem to know what they are doing and have the rule of the midwife down....know when to use your hands, and know when to sit on them.
I encourage to THINK for yourself. Do not just lie back and let some one do what's best or easiest for them. You have options and you have a right to act on them. Do your research and know what is actually healthy and safe for you and your baby. Don't just assume what every person tells you is true. Be educated. I like to think of it this way....there are few decisions we get to make in life that are truly life-changing and/or "a big deal". Some examples: getting married, buying a house, and having babies. If someone were to come to you and say, "I'm an expert on love and marriages, I have years of experience and have been married myself...I'm going to pick your spouse for you." You would most likely think that's absurd. (Which it is...) You would think that no matter how much they knew, they wouldn't know better than you! Of course you'll chose for yourself who you spend the rest of your life with. Let's look at the second example. Say you hire a real estate agent, and instead of them being there to help guide you and listen to your needs they say, "I have a general idea of who you are as a couple and your price range, I've been doing this for years and am a licensed professional. I'll just pick a house for you. No need to have any say in the process or come look at the house...I'll call you when I put an offer in." Again with the absurdities. WHO would do that??! No one hopefully, this real estate agent just met you...they may know your age and where you want to live, but perhaps they don't know you like to garden, or would enjoy a sunroom, or want to have a boatload of kids so you need tons of square footage. So with those two examples in mind, how are we handling the responsibility of the third? Are you willing to let someone tell you what's going to happen for your birth just because they've been "doing this for years"? Will you let a person cut you open just because they are licensed to do so (and so they can be home for dinner)? When you know deep down that it's not the healthiest option for you and your baby...when you really dig deep and think about it and do the research and know your options....you know it's absurd as well. We can't just sit back and let everyone else decide for us. So educate yourself and know what you want. Then work hard to get it.
I hope you all learned a little something from my rant. I just had to get some of that off my chest. There was a lot that went unsaid (shocking I know!) so feel free to ask me any questions you like. I am always open to discussion. Love you all and care for you all deeply.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
tasty tuesday's
Hello, all! I was having some computer issues last night, but here is this weeks recipe! It's SUPER easy and VERY delicious! Enjoy :)
The Best Baked Potato Ever
I swear that's what it's called. I was looking up how to best bake a baked potato and googled that exact phrase and got this recipe! haha Gotta love google.
What you need:
- 6 to 8 baked potatoes (or russet, whichever you prefer)
- kosher salt
- oil (any kind will do, whatever's on hand)
What you do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scrub the potatoes really well and make sure they are clean. Then poke holes all over the potatoes with a fork. Rub them or dip them in oil and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Now here's where the difference is made. Do NOT wrap them in tin foil. I repeat do NOT wrap the potatoes!!!! Place them directly on the top rack of your preheated oven with a baking sheet under them to catch any droppings. Let them cook for about an hour to an hour and a half and voila! You have the best baked potato EVER! Trust me...it's seriously delicious. You know your baked potatoes are good when people ask you for your recipe! haha Seriously, try it. You'll never wrap your potatoes again!!!
The Best Baked Potato Ever
I swear that's what it's called. I was looking up how to best bake a baked potato and googled that exact phrase and got this recipe! haha Gotta love google.
What you need:
- 6 to 8 baked potatoes (or russet, whichever you prefer)
- kosher salt
- oil (any kind will do, whatever's on hand)
What you do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scrub the potatoes really well and make sure they are clean. Then poke holes all over the potatoes with a fork. Rub them or dip them in oil and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Now here's where the difference is made. Do NOT wrap them in tin foil. I repeat do NOT wrap the potatoes!!!! Place them directly on the top rack of your preheated oven with a baking sheet under them to catch any droppings. Let them cook for about an hour to an hour and a half and voila! You have the best baked potato EVER! Trust me...it's seriously delicious. You know your baked potatoes are good when people ask you for your recipe! haha Seriously, try it. You'll never wrap your potatoes again!!!
Friday, December 3, 2010
It's a girl!!!
So this morning we loaded up the van, headed to the ultrasound place and found out we're having a girl baby!!! We are so excited and honestly still a little bit in shock about it! So far, (I don't foresee us changing our minds, but you never know) we've decided on the name Ruby Fayne. Both Graham's grandfather and grandmother had mothers named Ruby and my grandmother was named Fayne. We feel the name is awesome and a great way to honor the people we love! Here are some pictures of our baby girl. :)
Sorry the pictures are so large! I don't know how to make them any smaller! haha Anyway, this view is as if you sat the baby on a glass coffee table and looked up from underneath! Definitely a girl!
I like this one because you can see lots of her and her big belly :)
This one might just be my favorite because you can see a small smile on her face!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
tasty tuesday's: thanksgiving edition!
So...is everyone as excited for Thanksgiving as I am? I have been looking forward to delicious food, family and friends for a few weeks now and am excited to share with you today one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes! It has been a huge hit at our houses so I'm sure they will be with yours. One thing's for sure, I'm very thankful to have each and every one of you in my life and even if we can't spend the holidays together, I'm glad I have you. :) Enjoy.
Maple-Pecan Sweet Potatoes
This is from a Cooking Light magazine. My mother-in-law found this recipe for me about two years ago and everyone has loved it! If you're cooking for a lot of people I would definitely double the batch...Now I know Thanksgiving is not one of those days we watch what we eat, but I do like that they added in the nutrition facts so I'll throw them in for ya too. In a half cup serving: 185 calories, 7.3g fat, 3.2g protein, 28g carb, 3.4g fiber, 41mg chol, 1mg iron, 315mg sodium, 57mg calc. So relatively good for you as far as Thanksgiving food goes. Alright, let's get down to business.
What you need:
2 3/4lbs sweet potatoes
1/4 cup half and half
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt (kosher salt really makes the difference here, so buy it! trust me!)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
mini-marshmallows
pecans, chopped
What you do:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pierce your potatoes, place them on foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about an hour or until tender. Let them cool a little bit, peel them, and them throw them in a large bowl and mash them up. Reduce your oven temp to 350. Stir in the half and half, butter, syrup, salt and pepper, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and egg. Spray at 2 quart baking dish and spoon the potato mixture in. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. After the first fifteen minutes, take it out, sprinkle the potatoes with the pecans (as many or as little as you like) and then add your marshmallows in top (same thing goes here, go to town if you like!) Pop it back in the oven at 350 for about 12 minutes or until the marshmallows are slightly melted and golden-brownish looking. Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!! :)
Maple-Pecan Sweet Potatoes
This is from a Cooking Light magazine. My mother-in-law found this recipe for me about two years ago and everyone has loved it! If you're cooking for a lot of people I would definitely double the batch...Now I know Thanksgiving is not one of those days we watch what we eat, but I do like that they added in the nutrition facts so I'll throw them in for ya too. In a half cup serving: 185 calories, 7.3g fat, 3.2g protein, 28g carb, 3.4g fiber, 41mg chol, 1mg iron, 315mg sodium, 57mg calc. So relatively good for you as far as Thanksgiving food goes. Alright, let's get down to business.
What you need:
2 3/4lbs sweet potatoes
1/4 cup half and half
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt (kosher salt really makes the difference here, so buy it! trust me!)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
mini-marshmallows
pecans, chopped
What you do:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pierce your potatoes, place them on foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about an hour or until tender. Let them cool a little bit, peel them, and them throw them in a large bowl and mash them up. Reduce your oven temp to 350. Stir in the half and half, butter, syrup, salt and pepper, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and egg. Spray at 2 quart baking dish and spoon the potato mixture in. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. After the first fifteen minutes, take it out, sprinkle the potatoes with the pecans (as many or as little as you like) and then add your marshmallows in top (same thing goes here, go to town if you like!) Pop it back in the oven at 350 for about 12 minutes or until the marshmallows are slightly melted and golden-brownish looking. Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!! :)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
home, sweet home.
Big changes happened for the Lutz family this past week and I'm here to share some of it with you. We moved from a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom ranch house, to a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom apartment on the second floor. Needless to say it has it's challenges at times, but so far city life is proving to be the best decision yet.
Lincoln and Quinn have found sharing a room to be quite fun, a little too much fun in fact at bedtime so we're still working out a good sleep schedule, but all in all they have adjusted wonderfully. They enjoy getting to go up an down the stairs regularly and getting more fresh air. We are super close to all sorts of shops and restaurants and an awesome dog park, so we've really benefited from being able to walk most places and I think the boys have really enjoyed this.
Being closer to school and work for Graham has really been the biggest benefit for me. I feel like we're getting a lot more husband/daddy quality time and for that I am VERY thankful! I mean, I didn't marry this man and have his babies so I wouldn't ever have to see him now did i? Nope, I didn't. But, I'm sure you've all skipped down to the pictures anyway so I'll just get on with it then. ;) It's all still a work in progress with lots of decorating (and couch getting) to be done, so I'll keep updating regularly!
My adorable kitchen.
Now, I know nobody likes bathroom pictures and you can't take a good bathroom picture to save your life, but I just had to show this amazing 60s pink and purple tile job. It's priceless. :)
The living room into the kitchen.
I'm finding that organization is key to living in small spaces. We found an awesome bench and hooks and made a sort of station for coats and shoes and things. I love it.
And lastly, one of my favorite parts of the whole house....is my kitchen sink. I know it doesn't sound very exciting, but I tend to spend a lot of time there so I might as well love it. I love the old cabinets, and the hooks Graham put up for my coffee mugs, I put up all different types of knobs on the cabinets in stead of the original hardware and my cute little shelf for my agave nectar, honey,
butter bell and chia seeds. What more could a granola girl need?
Lincoln and Quinn have found sharing a room to be quite fun, a little too much fun in fact at bedtime so we're still working out a good sleep schedule, but all in all they have adjusted wonderfully. They enjoy getting to go up an down the stairs regularly and getting more fresh air. We are super close to all sorts of shops and restaurants and an awesome dog park, so we've really benefited from being able to walk most places and I think the boys have really enjoyed this.
Being closer to school and work for Graham has really been the biggest benefit for me. I feel like we're getting a lot more husband/daddy quality time and for that I am VERY thankful! I mean, I didn't marry this man and have his babies so I wouldn't ever have to see him now did i? Nope, I didn't. But, I'm sure you've all skipped down to the pictures anyway so I'll just get on with it then. ;) It's all still a work in progress with lots of decorating (and couch getting) to be done, so I'll keep updating regularly!
This is the living room, from the viewpoint of the kitchen.
My adorable kitchen.
Now, I know nobody likes bathroom pictures and you can't take a good bathroom picture to save your life, but I just had to show this amazing 60s pink and purple tile job. It's priceless. :)
The living room into the kitchen.
I'm finding that organization is key to living in small spaces. We found an awesome bench and hooks and made a sort of station for coats and shoes and things. I love it.
And lastly, one of my favorite parts of the whole house....is my kitchen sink. I know it doesn't sound very exciting, but I tend to spend a lot of time there so I might as well love it. I love the old cabinets, and the hooks Graham put up for my coffee mugs, I put up all different types of knobs on the cabinets in stead of the original hardware and my cute little shelf for my agave nectar, honey,
butter bell and chia seeds. What more could a granola girl need?
Like I said, I'll definitely keep updating as we add new touches and get the bedrooms done, but these were just to tie you over for now. ;) Hope you enjoyed.
tasty tuesday
Hello everyone! Well, I'm back this week after skipping last week because things were kind of crazy 'round here. We moved a little over a week ago now into an apartment in Decatur and so far we are LOVING it. So...since I didn't post anything last week I thought this week I would post a regular recipe and an appetizer as a consolation. Hope you enjoy!
Corn Dip
I got this recipe from my friend Jenny Shane. It is delicious. Seriously, it's so delicious you won't even believe it.
What you need:
1 can mexicorn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3/4 cups mayonaise
jar of jalepenos
What you do:
Chop up as many jalepenos as you'd like. If you like it spicier add more, if you don't add less. Combine all the ingredients in a 1 or 2 quart dish and bake for about 15-30 minutes at 350. Really just bake it until it's bubbling and looks delicious! If you are making this for a crowd I would suggest doubling it. It'll go fast if you only bring this much and you don't want to make any enemies over corn dip. Trust me.
Brunswick Stew
This recipe is from one of my mom's good friends, Ms. Cece. I have lots of recipes from her so you'll probably see her name around here again. This is a great recipe for feeding a large group...or to make and have leftovers for days...or for freezing. Gotta love the options!
What you need:
2 large cans of BBQ pork (the pre-made kind, or I just buy the tubs of it located next to the hot dogs, ya know what I mean?)
2 large cans of BBQ beef (same as above)
1 large can white chunk chicken
1 large can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup ketchup
1 small can kernel corn
1 can creamed corn
1/2 - 1 bottle of BBQ sauce (any brand you like, use as much as you'd like)
What you do:
Literally just dump everything in the crockpot and forget it! It helps to stir it some, but it's best to cook it all day and don't mess with it. You can also cook it for 4-6 hours if you're short on time because all the ingredients are pre-cooked, so there are no worries about anything being undercooked. Seriously, this is the easiest recipe you'll ever make. Oh, and it's delicious with corn bread.
See you all next week....hope you have some delicious meals between now and then!
Corn Dip
I got this recipe from my friend Jenny Shane. It is delicious. Seriously, it's so delicious you won't even believe it.
What you need:
1 can mexicorn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3/4 cups mayonaise
jar of jalepenos
What you do:
Chop up as many jalepenos as you'd like. If you like it spicier add more, if you don't add less. Combine all the ingredients in a 1 or 2 quart dish and bake for about 15-30 minutes at 350. Really just bake it until it's bubbling and looks delicious! If you are making this for a crowd I would suggest doubling it. It'll go fast if you only bring this much and you don't want to make any enemies over corn dip. Trust me.
Brunswick Stew
This recipe is from one of my mom's good friends, Ms. Cece. I have lots of recipes from her so you'll probably see her name around here again. This is a great recipe for feeding a large group...or to make and have leftovers for days...or for freezing. Gotta love the options!
What you need:
2 large cans of BBQ pork (the pre-made kind, or I just buy the tubs of it located next to the hot dogs, ya know what I mean?)
2 large cans of BBQ beef (same as above)
1 large can white chunk chicken
1 large can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup ketchup
1 small can kernel corn
1 can creamed corn
1/2 - 1 bottle of BBQ sauce (any brand you like, use as much as you'd like)
What you do:
Literally just dump everything in the crockpot and forget it! It helps to stir it some, but it's best to cook it all day and don't mess with it. You can also cook it for 4-6 hours if you're short on time because all the ingredients are pre-cooked, so there are no worries about anything being undercooked. Seriously, this is the easiest recipe you'll ever make. Oh, and it's delicious with corn bread.
See you all next week....hope you have some delicious meals between now and then!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
tasty tuesday's
So here we are again, another week, another Tuesday! I hope all your weeks were fabulous and filled with joy. :) This week for tasty tuesday I'm posting a delicious recipe I found from The Pioneer Woman - Ree Drummond's website. This is DELICIOUS! I mean, ridiculously yummy. Super easy, fairly cheap and a great recipe if you know any or are a vegetarian! (Sorry vegans, too much cream and cheese for you...mmmmm.....) It has some greens hidden in there too, which is great because you don't always want to be fully aware that you are eating spinach, ya know? This is great for adults and kids alike so here's the recipe and let me know what you think if you try it out! (I'm going to give you instructions here, but if you'd like to follow the original directions on the Pioneer Woman website I strongly recommend it. She takes amazing pictures to help you along! I really enjoy that, so here's the link to her website and the recipe there: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/pasta-with-tomato-blue-cheese-sauce/ )
Pasta with Tomato-Blue Cheese Sauce
a.k.a. The best pasta dish known to man.
What you need:
1 box of thin spaghetti noodles or angel hair pasta
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes or cut up some fresh tomatoes
1/2c blue cheese crumbles (use more if you like I usually use about that much and it seems great to me)
3/4c heavy whipping cream
4c spinach, fresh or from a bag
Salt and pepper to taste
Sugar (just a dash)
Optional: crushed red pepper flakes for some oomph :)
What you do:
Cook your noodles according to the box instructions. (But if you use angel hair this may not be step one because it doesn't take very long.) Heat some olive oil in a skillet and chop up some garlic, add the garlic to the hot oil. Pour in your can of tomatoes and try to strain it as much as possible. You want little to no juice in there. Stir the tomatoes around and let them cook for a few minutes. Then add in your dashes of salt and sugar. (This is where the red pepper flakes go in too if you want them!) After the tomatoes have cooked for about 10-15 minutes, throw in the blue cheese crumbles. Stir in the cheese until it's all melted. Next, pour in the cream. Stir it around and shake the pan to let it really settle in. After a minute or so, taste the sauce and add whatever you think it needs. (usually pepper) Now....this is going to sound strange and may seem like it's not going to work at first, but trust me and the pioneer woman on this one! Do exactly as we say! Turn the burner OFF, throw in your spinach and stir it all around letting the heat just wilt the spinach. (You don't really want to cook it, you just want it to wilt so it stays yummy and fresh. This will be the last thing you do right before you actually serve it.) As it's wilting combine the pasta and sauce (with the still wilting spinach) in a bowl and combine until it's a homogenous mixture. When the spinach looks wilty (yes, I just made that word up) enough for you, serve and enjoy! It's that easy!
I hope you all enjoy this recipe and have a wonderful week! Let me know if you try it and what you think! Have a tasty tuesday y'all. :)
Pasta with Tomato-Blue Cheese Sauce
a.k.a. The best pasta dish known to man.
What you need:
1 box of thin spaghetti noodles or angel hair pasta
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes or cut up some fresh tomatoes
1/2c blue cheese crumbles (use more if you like I usually use about that much and it seems great to me)
3/4c heavy whipping cream
4c spinach, fresh or from a bag
olive oil
garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Sugar (just a dash)
Optional: crushed red pepper flakes for some oomph :)
What you do:
Cook your noodles according to the box instructions. (But if you use angel hair this may not be step one because it doesn't take very long.) Heat some olive oil in a skillet and chop up some garlic, add the garlic to the hot oil. Pour in your can of tomatoes and try to strain it as much as possible. You want little to no juice in there. Stir the tomatoes around and let them cook for a few minutes. Then add in your dashes of salt and sugar. (This is where the red pepper flakes go in too if you want them!) After the tomatoes have cooked for about 10-15 minutes, throw in the blue cheese crumbles. Stir in the cheese until it's all melted. Next, pour in the cream. Stir it around and shake the pan to let it really settle in. After a minute or so, taste the sauce and add whatever you think it needs. (usually pepper) Now....this is going to sound strange and may seem like it's not going to work at first, but trust me and the pioneer woman on this one! Do exactly as we say! Turn the burner OFF, throw in your spinach and stir it all around letting the heat just wilt the spinach. (You don't really want to cook it, you just want it to wilt so it stays yummy and fresh. This will be the last thing you do right before you actually serve it.) As it's wilting combine the pasta and sauce (with the still wilting spinach) in a bowl and combine until it's a homogenous mixture. When the spinach looks wilty (yes, I just made that word up) enough for you, serve and enjoy! It's that easy!
I hope you all enjoy this recipe and have a wonderful week! Let me know if you try it and what you think! Have a tasty tuesday y'all. :)
happyween....
I think one of my favorite things ever is hearing how Linc will interpret what we say. For instance, it's not "Happy Halloween", it's "happyween". So adorable! So for our happyween adventure this year we went trick or treating in Graham's old stomping grounds (Grammy and Grampy's neighborhood in Peachtree Corners). We had so much fun! And surprisingly the boys really got the hang of it. Lincoln was walking last year, but obviously not quite as talkative so it was so fun to hear how he was taking all this in. Some of my favorite Linc quotes from happyween:
Daddy and Robin
Mommy and Batman
Daddy, Batman and Puppy ;)
1. We had been to a few houses and he was really starting to get the hang of this when we walked up to a house and I said "ok, say trick or treat". Lincoln looks the gentlemen right in the eyes and says, "Just treats, more treats." He hadn't gotten any tricks yet, but he wasn't taking any chances!
2. Before we had been to many houses and his bucket wasn't very full I said, "Come on we need to fill that pail up with treats!" To which Lincoln stuffs his puppy in his pail and says, "Oh, puppy treat! :)" I swear he's going to get married with puppy as his best man....
3. And lastly, as we were headed back to Grammy's house we told Lincoln he had done a great job and we were all done trick or treating. He just keeps walking and as he waves he says, "Bye, bye happyween! Bye, bye happyween!"
So of course those weren't the ONLY cute things he said, but those were some of my favorite. Quinn was cute too and had a knack for wanting to go straight into people's houses. Very Quinn of him. Never met a stranger that child! He also wanted to pull all the candy out of the homeowner's buckets and attempt to put it all back in! But by the end he understood that you only take one and you put it in your own bucket...he got his Halloween 101 lesson down by the end of the night. :)
So I hope all of you had a wonderful happyween as well. Here are some pictures of our night!
Linc as Batman, Quinn as Robin and
Cousin Oliver as the Lobster :)
Daddy and Robin
Mommy and Batman
Daddy, Batman and Puppy ;)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
tasty tuesday's
*Warning: if you would like to skip to the recipe please feel free to scroll down. If you want the longwinded, babbly version read on. And don't say I didn't warn you.*
...I already know what you're thinking. "Heather, your very own blog is telling me you posted this on a Wednesday. Are you crazy?" Yes, I am crazy. But let me take a moment to explain myself...
So there I was, peacefully sleeping. Deep, wonderful, dreamless sleep. When BAM! It hits me. No, not an ingenious idea or invention that will make me a bajillion dollars. Graham's knee. Yup, a good old Graham knee straight to my thigh. Now, this isn't the first time I've fallen prey to one of his crazy, sleeping limbs. I've been bonked on the head, kicked in the shins, even elbowed in the nose. And let me be the first to tell you, that it is not a pain you can sleep through. Ouch. And on top of that, it seems that the conversation we had before bed, about the room feeling "a little warm", has gotten worse. You see my wonderful, loving husband and his sleeping self must have subconsciously thought, "Gee, it sure is hot in here, I bet my beautiful and caring wife would love some extra covers. Here you go baby, you can have them all!" So not only have I been kneed in the leg, but I wake up not just "a little warm", but burning up! No not burning up, I think I'm literally ON FIRE. And I'm starving. And it's one something in the morning. Great. So I unsuccessfully tried to will myself back to sleep for about an hour and a half and decided it just wasn't going to happen. Plus, in the time that I tried to fall back asleep my creative juices started flowing. And I don't know about you, but when those juices start flowing in my head they are very difficult to stop. So alas, I am here at almost three in the morning posting about my new idea that came to me because of a knee to the thigh.
I have been a fan of blogs and have been reading them for a while now and always like it when people have special themes devoted to a certain day of the week. You know like, "wordless wednesday" or "thrifty thursday". I mean this shouldn't come as much of a shocker because my last post was titled magical, mystical muffin Monday's. Anyway...as I'm laying there - hungry I might add - it hits me. No not a crazy limb this time, but "tasty tuesday". That's it. That's my special themed day of the week. So each tuesday I will share with you a favorite recipe of mine. I mean who doesn't love a good, tested and approved recipe? So without further ado, here's the first recipe I'm going to share with you.
Poor Man's Lasagna
If you know me well, then you know this is my 'go to' recipe. Small groups, new babies being born, last minute vacation meals, you name it I'll make this dish. It's been nicknamed P.M.L. at our house and I hope that it becomes enough of a favorite that it will get it's own name at your house. Now I've got to give credit where credit is due and tell you I first had this at a small group gathering at my good friend Ansley's house. (They call it "Sebring Surprise") I seriously couldn't believe the deliciousness that I was tasting for the very first time. I got her recipe and immediately started making it. I know it's not the most healthy recipe, but I think my favorite things about it are: it's a crowd pleaser (and if you're not feeding a crowd it reheats beautifully!), it's easy to make, and it's inexpensive. If you coupon like me, it's very easy to stockpile super cheap pasta and spaghetti sauce and always have it on hand for PML. So again, without further ado, here's the recipe. Enjoy!
What you need:
1lb. ground beef
1 box of pasta (ziti or penne will be great for this, or whatever "short" pasta you have on hand)
1 medium sized pasta jar (any flavor you would like)
1 box of cream cheese
16 oz. of sour cream
1 bag of shredded cheese (mozzarella and parmesan work the best)
What you do:
Preheat your oven to 350.
Boil the pasta according to the box instructions.
Brown the meat and drain the excess.
In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, cream cheese and spaghetti/pasta sauce. We only use about half to 3/4 the jar of pasta sauce. We like ours less runny/saucy so just eyeball it 'til you're happy with the consistency. Also, it's nice to leave a couple of chunks of the cream cheese together rather than blending it through. That way you get a good "gob" as we like to call it, in every bite or so. Mmmm.....
Throw in the pasta and meat and mix all of it together really well. Then pour it into a 9x13 pan. (no need to spray it). Sprinkle the cheese on top, just eyeball this too. You can use more or less it's totally up to you. Then bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is all melty and delicious looking on top. Serve and enjoy!
I hope that you guys try this and LOVE it. Feel free to comment back when you have, and feel free to share any variations or findings you have! And I'll see you again next week with another recipe for Tasty Tuesday's! ;-)
...I already know what you're thinking. "Heather, your very own blog is telling me you posted this on a Wednesday. Are you crazy?" Yes, I am crazy. But let me take a moment to explain myself...
So there I was, peacefully sleeping. Deep, wonderful, dreamless sleep. When BAM! It hits me. No, not an ingenious idea or invention that will make me a bajillion dollars. Graham's knee. Yup, a good old Graham knee straight to my thigh. Now, this isn't the first time I've fallen prey to one of his crazy, sleeping limbs. I've been bonked on the head, kicked in the shins, even elbowed in the nose. And let me be the first to tell you, that it is not a pain you can sleep through. Ouch. And on top of that, it seems that the conversation we had before bed, about the room feeling "a little warm", has gotten worse. You see my wonderful, loving husband and his sleeping self must have subconsciously thought, "Gee, it sure is hot in here, I bet my beautiful and caring wife would love some extra covers. Here you go baby, you can have them all!" So not only have I been kneed in the leg, but I wake up not just "a little warm", but burning up! No not burning up, I think I'm literally ON FIRE. And I'm starving. And it's one something in the morning. Great. So I unsuccessfully tried to will myself back to sleep for about an hour and a half and decided it just wasn't going to happen. Plus, in the time that I tried to fall back asleep my creative juices started flowing. And I don't know about you, but when those juices start flowing in my head they are very difficult to stop. So alas, I am here at almost three in the morning posting about my new idea that came to me because of a knee to the thigh.
I have been a fan of blogs and have been reading them for a while now and always like it when people have special themes devoted to a certain day of the week. You know like, "wordless wednesday" or "thrifty thursday". I mean this shouldn't come as much of a shocker because my last post was titled magical, mystical muffin Monday's. Anyway...as I'm laying there - hungry I might add - it hits me. No not a crazy limb this time, but "tasty tuesday". That's it. That's my special themed day of the week. So each tuesday I will share with you a favorite recipe of mine. I mean who doesn't love a good, tested and approved recipe? So without further ado, here's the first recipe I'm going to share with you.
Poor Man's Lasagna
If you know me well, then you know this is my 'go to' recipe. Small groups, new babies being born, last minute vacation meals, you name it I'll make this dish. It's been nicknamed P.M.L. at our house and I hope that it becomes enough of a favorite that it will get it's own name at your house. Now I've got to give credit where credit is due and tell you I first had this at a small group gathering at my good friend Ansley's house. (They call it "Sebring Surprise") I seriously couldn't believe the deliciousness that I was tasting for the very first time. I got her recipe and immediately started making it. I know it's not the most healthy recipe, but I think my favorite things about it are: it's a crowd pleaser (and if you're not feeding a crowd it reheats beautifully!), it's easy to make, and it's inexpensive. If you coupon like me, it's very easy to stockpile super cheap pasta and spaghetti sauce and always have it on hand for PML. So again, without further ado, here's the recipe. Enjoy!
What you need:
1lb. ground beef
1 box of pasta (ziti or penne will be great for this, or whatever "short" pasta you have on hand)
1 medium sized pasta jar (any flavor you would like)
1 box of cream cheese
16 oz. of sour cream
1 bag of shredded cheese (mozzarella and parmesan work the best)
What you do:
Preheat your oven to 350.
Boil the pasta according to the box instructions.
Brown the meat and drain the excess.
In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, cream cheese and spaghetti/pasta sauce. We only use about half to 3/4 the jar of pasta sauce. We like ours less runny/saucy so just eyeball it 'til you're happy with the consistency. Also, it's nice to leave a couple of chunks of the cream cheese together rather than blending it through. That way you get a good "gob" as we like to call it, in every bite or so. Mmmm.....
Throw in the pasta and meat and mix all of it together really well. Then pour it into a 9x13 pan. (no need to spray it). Sprinkle the cheese on top, just eyeball this too. You can use more or less it's totally up to you. Then bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is all melty and delicious looking on top. Serve and enjoy!
I hope that you guys try this and LOVE it. Feel free to comment back when you have, and feel free to share any variations or findings you have! And I'll see you again next week with another recipe for Tasty Tuesday's! ;-)
Monday, October 25, 2010
magical, mystical muffin mondays
Why all the alliteration you ask? Simply, because it's fun! And that's what Graham and I refer to as my latest "job" ;) As if being a wife and mom to a bunch of barbarians wasn't enough, for the past few months I have had the pleasure of working for a wonderful lady named, Karen. She runs a bake shop out of her kitchen in Norcross and makes delicious and yummy baked goods! On a weekly basis we'll make ezekiel pumpkin chocolate chip mini-muffins (or sans the chips and get golden raisin and cranberry...mmm...), whole wheat honey bread and whole wheat flaxseed chocolate chip almond cookies...all with flour that we milled just that morning. And the best part of it all is that it's all healthy and nutritious!! So fantastic. Anyway, I just thought I'd share this with y'all and take you through a typical baking day.
First we prepare all the ingredients and line them up.
Today we made two batches of ezekiel pumpkin chocolate chip mini-muffins.
Today we made two batches of ezekiel pumpkin chocolate chip mini-muffins.
Then we mix all the batter and bake and bake until we can't bake anymore. ;)
Then we let them cool.
Mmmm...yummy muffins... ;)
And at long last, we package them up!
This is actually a picture of our half dozen bag...our full dozen (baker's dozen as a matter of fact!) is much bigger and comes with a cute ribbon. :)
Then we let them cool.
Mmmm...yummy muffins... ;)
And at long last, we package them up!
This is actually a picture of our half dozen bag...our full dozen (baker's dozen as a matter of fact!) is much bigger and comes with a cute ribbon. :)
I strongly suggest that y'all check out Karen's website, www.13moonsbakery.com . She's got all the nutrition facts and products there, too. And if you're in or around the Norcross area order some stuff! I'm sure you'll love it! Lincoln calls the muffins "treats", but they are actually much more healthy for him than most other "non-treat" foods! Gotta love it. Hope you enjoyed this. And I most certainly hope your Monday was also magical, mystical and magnificent! ;)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
some of my favorite pictures....
the barbarians in their natural habitat
Hiking at Brasstown Bald
We took a family beach trip to Hilton Head - this is courtesy of
Aunt Madeline and Uncle Mason
We attended a coupon workshop put on by thebudgetauthor.com and
there was a fun photo booth set up with props!
Yes, that is really Graham throwing Quinn in the air. He loves it.
And usually Quinn will stand in Graham's hands with his
knees locked and we call it his circus trick,
but apparently he was in more of a squatting mood that night. ;)
Let's try this again....
So I have been getting frequent requests to update our shutterfly account, except the only thing is I can't access the account! I think ever since I switched to a mac shutterfly has been discriminating against me. Whatever the case may be, I am ditching the old site and starting this blog now to hopefully keep you all updated on our rapidly changing lives!
So far in 2010 we have celebrated three birthday's. Lincoln turned two on May 28, Quinn turned one on September 11, and I just turned twenty-five on the 21! Phew! Lot's of growing going on...and as long as we're on the topic of growing, we are expecting our third baby (gender unknown at this time!) in mid-April! We are super excited (even though this wasn't particularly planned) and feel honored that God trusts us with his little people.
Also in 2010, Graham has gone back to Georgia State and is looking to graduate pre-Med and hopefully go onto medical school. (Crazy we know!) He's been doing a great job in all his classes and we couldn't be more proud of him! He's a wiz. And since he's gone back to school and has been working as a golf caddie also in downtown Atlanta that leads me to our next big bit of news.
We are moving! We currently have our house on the market and are waiting on an offer to be approved. (Yay!) We are hoping to move to an apartment in Decatur that will put us much closer to the action (the action being school and work! ha!) and give us a lot more quality time together as a family. Hopefully if/when we move we will post pics of the new place!
A lot has changed so far and we still have two and a half months of this year to go! Let's see what else God has in store... ;)
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